Pork Ribs with Chipotle Peach Beer Barbecue Sauce

Maybe it’s because I’m writing this from 30,000 feet above Houston, Texas, enroute to South America, that I feel compelled to tell you that American Barbecue has nothing to do with your backyard grill. Sure there are similarities, the flames, the metal grates, the brave souls with large metal cooking implements poking at the meat from a safe distance. But it’s the difference that make the biggest impact on your final results. Barbecue gives us the gorgeous smoky flavors, the fall off the bone meat, the get-your-shirt-messy eating experience because of a cooking method that’s long, slow and low. Grilling is quick, hot and high. Real, true barbecue is a process that takes hours, even days to complete. The low temperature renders the fat, infusing the meat, injecting it with flavor and giving you that tender fall-apart texture. Your oven can do this slow and low cooking as well, it just takes time. It’s the best way to cook ribs at home, no other method can compare to the tender texture, caramelized sauce, and flavors that taste as close to true smoky barbecue as you can get in your own house. It takes time, as true barbecue should. The meat melts off the bone, the sauce is caramelized and just a little sticky. You’ll need plenty of napkins and a couple beers to make this a meal. And it’s worth every second you spent cooking it.

Add the peaches, stirring occasionally, until peaches have broken down, about ten minutes. Remove from heat.

Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth (alternately, you can allow the sauce to cool slightly and blend in an upright blender.) Sauce can be made several days in advance.

Lower oven temperature to 250.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the ribs on the baking sheet, sprinkle on all sides with salt.

Brush liberally with sauce on all sides.

Cook for 30 minutes, remove from oven, brush on all sides with sauce and return to oven. Repeat this step for 4 hours, brushing with sauce every 30 minutes, until meat easily pulls away from the bone and sauce has caramelized